Violin-piano.



J. C. STRAWN.

VIOLIN PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JAN. I7, IQII.

1,300,894, Patented Apr. 15,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

J. C. STRAWN.

V|0| .|N PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 1917.

1,300394. Patented Apr. 15,1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE C. STRAWN, OF BUFFALO SPRINGS, TEX AS, A S SIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. JONES, 0F BUFFALO SPRINGS, TEXAS.

VIOLIN-PIANO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn COLMAN STRAWN, a'citizen of the United States, residingat Bufialo Springs, in the county of Clay and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ViolinPianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description; of the invention, such ,as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

7 This invention has for its object to provide a player for violins embodying a keyboard and a fingering mechanism controlled thereby, whereby the violin may be played in substantially the same manner as a piano.

A further object 7 is to provide an improved violin piano having simple'and efficient means for operating the shifting rods of the bow belt, means being provided for actuating the shifting rods and the fingering mechanism from the keyboard of the piano.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in *the novel construc- 7 tion, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter specifically described,

claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view through the improved violin'piano,

Fig. 2 represents a horizontal sectional view therethrough, and

Fig. 3 represents a detail view of the violin strings and string-engaging belt associated therewith, showing also the belt-shifting members.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates a suit able casing having supporting brackets 6 attached to the .rear wall thereof in which is suported a violin 6, having the usual neck 7, strings and tuning keys .9. A pedal 10 is pivotally supported at 11 in the front lower portion of the casing 5 and is connected by a connecting rod 12 with a crankpin14 carried by a pulley 13, rotatably supported in the casing 5 and connected with the pulley 16 of a shaft 16 by abelt 15. A vertically disposed shaft 17 is supported in a stationary bearing member 19 attached to the rear wall of the casing 5, and the shaft 17 is connected to the shaft 16* by bevel gear Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 142,854.

wheels 16 and 18, whereby rotary movement is transmitted from the shaft 16 to the shaft 17. is secured to the shaft 17 and is arranged in spaced relation to a pulley 20 arranged on the side of the violin 6 op-' posite the pulley 19 and connected thereto by a bow belt 21, the outer face of which is preferably covered with hair similar to that which is used with the ordinary bows of violins, whereby when the outer surface of the belt 21 is engaged and moved across the strings 8 of the violin a sound is produced. Belt guides 22, having slotted vertically disposed members are arranged upon opposite sides of the strings 8 of the violin and receive the bow belt 21 to guide the lat ter.

The pulley 20 is supported upon a shaft journaled in an adjustable bearing member 20, which is slidably supported in a guide 22 secured to the rear wall of the casing 5 and which receives one terminal of an adjusting screw 23, which is threaded in av bracket 24 attached to the casing 5, whereby when the screw is adjusted by means of the handle 25 the pulley 20 is adjusted with relation to the pulley 19 so as to tighten or loosen the bow belt 21, as desired.

,A plurality of belt-shifting rods 26 are slidably supported upon a table 26 arranged in the casing 5 in front of the violin 6, and the rear terminal of each rod 26 is provided with a pair of spaced rollers 27, between which the belt 21 passes. As is clearly evident by reference to Fig. 3, the rollers 27 are of such size as to be moved between the strings 8 ofthe violin, and when the rods 26 are moved rearwardly the bow belt 21 is moved against the strings 8. The rods 26 are normally retained in forwardly extended position by expansion springs 28,

and it will be understood, that one rod 26 is provided for each string 8 of the violin.

The forward extremity of each rod 26 is enlarged and formed with a substantially U-shaped recess 29, receiving the lower terminal of a rod or arm 30 carried by a h0rizontally disposed shaft 31, which latter is rotatably supported in the casing 5. Four of the shafts 31 are provided and the same may be'arranged within the casing 5 in any desired manner and the shaft associated with each string is provided with a number of depending fingers 32 rigidly secured Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

A pulley or drum 19 thereto and corresponding in number to the number of tones which may be produced by the string associated therewith. A horizontally disposed shaft 34: is rigangular lower terminals adapted to engage the lower terminals of the fingers 32 of the several shafts 31, whereby'the actuation of any one of the several fingers 33 will efiect a slight rotational movement of one .of the shafts 31 by engagement with the finger 32 associated therewith. A plurality of keys 35 similar to the keys of a piano are pivotally supported upon shaft 34 and project forwardly thereof in a horizontal plane. The keys 3-5 are connected with the fingers 33 associated therewith in such manner as to effect a rearward movement of the fingers 33 upon depression of the keys 35 and each key also is connected with a relatively short upstanding arm 36, which is also actuated upon depression ofthe key associated therewith.

A supporting board 40 is arranged in front of the finger board of neck 7 of the violin and over the strings 8 and is provided with a number of curved fingers 39, which are adapted to be moved inwardly against the strings 8 to finger the strings so as to produce various musical tones when the belt 21 isdrawn across them. It will be understood that each string of the instrument 6' short arm 36 of the key 35 associated therewith, whereby movement of the key 35 is transmitted to the finger 39 and the-latter engaged with the string simultaneously with depression of'the key 35.

In use, the pedal 10 is actuated by the foot of the operator so as to cause the bow belt 21 to travel'upon the rollers or pulleys 19.

and 20. Whenthe key 35 associatedwith any 'one of the several string-engaging fingers 39 is depressed, the movement of the key 35 is transmitted to the finger 32 by the.

finger 33, thus swinging the arm. 30 rearwardly and sliding the rod 26 associated with the'depressed key, so as to cause the portion of the bow belt overlying the string 8, which is engaged by the finger -39, to engage that string .and produce the desired tone. The other rods 26 are prevented from being drawn rearwardly by the belt 21 by the springs 28, and thus only one string is engaged by the belt.

What I claim is: V

1. In a violin piano, a plurality of strings disposed in parallel spaced relation, a bow belt mounted for operation transversely of the stringsand positioned adjacent thereto, means for driving said belt, and means for optionally moving a portion of'one run of the belt into frictional contact with anyone of said strings selectively, said means serving to hold the belt out of contact with the other strings and to normally maintain the belt in spaced relation to all of said strings.

2. In a violin piano, a pluralityof strings disposed in parallel spaced relation, a bow belt operable transversely of saidstrings and positioned closely adjacent thereto, means for driving said belt, a plurality of belt shifting rods mounted for movement toward andaway from said strings, each of said rods being provided with upwardly extending guide rollers projecting across the inner and outer faces, respectively, of the inner run of the belt so that by moving the rods inwardly the belt may be broughtinto frictional engagement with any one of said strings selectively,.and means for normally holding said shifting rods in their outermost position so as to hold the belt spaced awaytain of the rods are moved inwardly to bring the belt into engagement with a particular string. 1

A violin plano including a violin having a finger board, fingers movable agalnst the portions of the violin strings arrangedover the finger board, a bow'belt arranged transversely of the strings, means for operating the bow belt, a plurality of bow belt shifting rods arranged at right angles to the belt andoperatively connected thereto, a plurality of shafts extending at right angles to the belt shifting rods, downwardly extending fingers carried by the shafts and operatively connected to the belt shifting rods, a plurality of actuating keys pivotally secured in position, means for rocking said shafts by depressing saidkeys, upstanding ears carried by the keys and means operatively connecting the upstanding ears with the fingers, as and for the purposespecified.

' JESSE C.'STRAWN.

Witnesses: L r

I R. L. MAYFmLn,

C. P. 'MAYFIELD.

the Commissioner of Patents, 

